It seems like Ottawa-born shredder Matt Belzile graduated from grom to veteran in the blink of an eye. Wasn’t it just yesterday when his first am interviews appeared? Reality check: It was in fact five years ago when he moved to Whistler and got hooked up by Westbeach (who he still rides for and also works for). One year later he added K2 to his sponsor list, and began filming with Alterna Films under the mentorship of then teammate and current boss Jon Cartwright.

While Belzile began, he no doubt looked up to top Canadian dogs like Cartwright, but he can now count himself among them. He splits his time between contests and a full-time filming schedule with ease (witness his totally bananas backside 1260s at this year’s Shakedown), and somehow manages to be a contributing member of the Westbeach staff; not just a team rider who breezes in and out of product meetings and photo shoots. He’s also stepped up to the top video ranks, earning a spot on the Standard Films rider roster this season.

“I’ve been trying to get into American videos for a while,” he explains. “Last season I filmed for Variety Pack’s Not Bad, based out of Utah. I had a decent part in it and my American K2 team manager worked some magic and got me on Standard. I was pretty hyped on that!”

The best part about Belzile is that he’ll be the last person to tell you these things. Low-key and cool to a fault, he typically seems content to allow his accomplishments (and his avid supporters) speak on his behalf. I ran into him a few times this season, and even did a run or two with him: in the Blackcomb beginner park with Jesse Fox and Robjn Taylor. The fact that he was as stoked to hit some tiny jibs with friends as he was to take down the mighty Shakedown jump says it all.
Click here to read the entire interview: http://www.push.ca/blogs/matthsn/archive/2010/05/07/matt-belzile-s-no-rookie.aspx